1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling/decoupling assembly of a pipe using a spherical shape valve, and more particularly, to a coupling/decoupling assembly of a pipe which can selectively prevent a flow channel when coupling/decoupling the pipe by a valve having a part of a spherical body inside the pipe.
2. Description of Related Art
Pipes in various sizes and types are coupled in all facilities and machine apparatuses, from large-scale industrial facilities such as power plants and petrochemical plants to air conditioners and refrigerators in offices and homes. The pipe transfers various types of fluids such as water, vapor, a refrigerant, and the like depending upon purposes of the machine apparatuses and the facilities.
The pipes may corrode from being used for an extended period of time, and may have a crack or may be broken due to an external impact or a sudden state change of a fluid which flows through inside the pipes.
Conventionally, it has been a problem that the fluid which flows through the pipe is leaked to an outside to cause air pollution and waste of resources when the pipe is repaired or replaced.
In a conventional method, the fluid which flows through the pipe is eliminated when the pipe is decoupled from the facility, or when the pipe is replaced or repaired. After replacing or repairing the pipe, the decoupled pipe is coupled again, and the fluid is flowed through the pipe.
In the conventional method, it takes a great amount of time to replace and repair the pipe, and waste of resources and air pollution may occur when the fluid is leaked out. As an example, when a great amount of oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which are shipped or stored in a huge vessel or in a huge storage base, are transferred to another vessel or base, the oil and LPG may be leaked out. Also, when a pipe is decoupled from a refrigerator and an air conditioner, a fluid in the refrigerator and air conditioner is required to be eliminated for safety reasons. Also, the eliminated fluid is required to be filled again in the refrigerator and air conditioner when the pipe is coupled again. These operations are complex, and a working speed may be lowered due to the complex operation.
Also, when the fluid is a hot fluid, a burn may occur due to the hot fluid, and when the fluid is a radioactive material, radiation exposure may occur.
Also, a container is required to contain the eliminated fluid, and air pollution may occur when disposing of the fluid.